The French Laundry has its Oysters and Pearls, Alinea has the Truffle Explosion, Nobu has miso black cod. Each is a signature dish forever tied to its restaurant. Avec has one too, on its menu since day one: Bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed dates. Story goes that chef Paul Kahan's father-in-law served these at his annual tapas party. Kahan commissioned former Avec chef Koren Grieveson and longtime butcher Jorge Ruiz to hone the recipe. Bingo bango, 13-plus years later, they can't get the dish off the dinner menu, and likely never will. Chef Perry Hendrix has reimagined the chorizo-stuffed dates in a handheld device — a burger ($14). A patty of half pork chorizo, half beef, with the dates cooked down into a mostarda (a mustard-seed-spiked fruit preserve). House-cured bacon lies lengthwise atop. Piquillo peppers give the aioli a Spanish flair, and the brioche bun gets toasted crisp on the plancha. This dish is progeny of the tastiest order. (Available at weekday lunch and Sunday brunch.) 615 W. Randolph St., 312-377-2002, www.avecrestaurant.com

— Kevin Pang

Potluck Creative

The double cheeseburger at Johnny’s Grill.

The double cheeseburger at Johnny’s Grill.

(Potluck Creative)

Double cheeseburger at Johnny's Grill

I know: You love the burger at Au Cheval. You love it as much as you love the Lower Wacker scenes in "The Dark Knight" and as much as you love hating on people who put ketchup on hot dogs. Nobody here is disputing the validity of Chicago's most-written-about burger, so please direct hate mail elsewhere. But it's nice to remember that there are other, very good burgers out there — useful for when you don't have three hours to wait for a table. The double cheeseburger ($9) at Johnny's Grill is one of them. It's a feat to put out a thin burger that's still pink and juicy in the middle, and the cooks here nailed it — two beautifully griddled patties, covered in melted sharp cheddar on a soft bun that soaks up the grease. A thick layer of mustard-mayo mixture makes every bite creamy, and pickles on top nail the fast-food nostalgia. 2545 N. Kedzie Blvd., 773-278-2215, www.thejohnnysgrill.com

In too many restaurants, a nuked supermarket-issued patty is all one can expect out of a veggie burger. It's a happy surprise to find the housemade, kitchen-sink variety, when vegetables, legumes, herbs, spices, dressings and a surprise or two are mashed together to form a burger as savory and satisfying as the carnivorous version. The veggie burger at Revolution Brewpub ($13) is one of those masterworks. Every component is made in-house, including the bun; and the recipe was not a snap to create, says general manager Gabriel Boden: "It probably took a year or more, trying various takes." The thick, juicy patty incorporates cremini mushrooms, smoked black beans and roasted red beets (delivering a rosy hue), and arrives topped with melty shreds of pepper jack cheese, tangy red onion marmalade and sprigs of fresh arugula, all hulking inside a sturdy bun made with quinoa. 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-227-2739, www.revbrew.com/brewpub